Nerivill. Pixabay. Domestic and intimate partner violence is still prevalent in our society today. According to the CDC, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. If you are a victim of violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for assistance.

As the holidays approach, it is important to remember that this a time in the U.S. when there have historically been spikes in incidents of domestic violence. Noncitizens in the U.S. who are also experiencing intimate partner violence may feel that their immigration status is an additional barrier to leaving their partner or getting help. While many factors make it extremely hard to leave a relationship, it is important to know that there are immigration options available if you are an immigrant and this blog post discusses generally some of them.

Please remember that if you are experiencing domestic violence, think about your safety first! A good option is to call a domestic violence hotlineto talk with someone experienced in the nuances of domestic violence about what you are going through and with whom you can talk about some options moving forward. You do not need to figure out all the answers now, and you can attend to your immigration legal needs after the more urgent matters are addressed.

What if someone is married to a U.S. citizen or Legal Permanent Resident who is abusive?

A person in this situation does not need to stay in an abusive relationship because of immigration reasons and may benefit from VAWA, which stands for Violence Against Women Act. VAWA is not limited to women and can be applied for regardless of gender or sexuality. The abuse does notneed to be physical. A VAWA petition leads to a green card (legal permanent residence). To qualify for VAWA, the following must be shown: (1) bona fide marriageto U.S. citizen or Legal Permanent Resident, (2) common residence with abusive spouse, (3) battery or extreme cruelty from the abusive spouse, and (4) good moral character.

What if someone is in removal proceedings and has been subjected to abuse or extreme cruelty from a U.S. citizen or Legal Permanent Resident spouse?

Someone in this situation may benefit from VAWA cancellation of removal, which requires similar requirements as above, in addition to (1) three years of continuous presence in the United States, and (2) a showing of extreme hardship to oneself if deported.

What if someone is married to someone in a nonimmigrant class who is abusive?

If someone is in the United States as a dependent of certain nonimmigrants (A, E-3, G, or H), it is possible to apply for work authorization for the remainder of your lawful stay in the United States and you do not need to remain with the abusive spouse for lawful status or employment.

What if someone is in an abusive marriage to a spouse with a different immigration status than listed above, or what if someone is not legally married but is experiencing violence from their partner?

It may be possible to apply for a U nonimmigrant visaif you have contacted the police for assistance with a crime of domestic violence and you cooperate with an agency (such as the NYPD or District Attorney’s Office) in investigating and prosecuting the crime. The U visa is extremely backlogged, but it is a path towards eventual legal permanent residence.

What if a child under 21 is experiencing abuse from a parent or step-parent?

A child in this situation may have two options. VAWA is also available to children and step-children of abusive U.S. citizen or Legal Permanent Resident parents. Another option is Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), which may provide relief to individuals who have experienced abuse, neglect or abandonment from one(or both) parents—in this situation, the parent’s immigration status is not relevant and the parent does not need to even reside in the U.S. This process requires an order from a Family Court.

If you have questions about immigration options for domestic or intimate partner violence victims and survivors, please contact us. We are here to help. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Tumblr for up-to-date immigration news.

Rasoulpour Torregoza is the law firm for immigrants, by immigrants. We are founded on the motto of LegalEase: we do away with the legal jargon and make law easy to understand, so you can focus on what’s important to you – going for your American Dream.Contact us at (888) 445-7066 or info@legalease.us. We are also on social media and on Skype: @LegalEaseUS. ||www.LegalEase.usThis website and blog constitute attorney advertising. Do not consider anything on this website or blog legal advice as the law is dynamic, particularly in the immigration field and nothing in this website constitutes an attorney-client relationship being formed. Set up a one-hour consultation with us before acting on anything you read here. Past results are no guarantee of future results and prior results do not imply or predict future results. Each case is different and must be judged on its own merits.

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This website and blog constitute attorney advertising. Do not consider anything on this website or blog legal advice as the law is dynamic, particularly n the immigration field and nothing in this website constitutes an attorney-client relationship being formed. Set up a one-hour consultation with us before acting on anything you read here. Past results are no guarantee of future results and prior results do not imply or predict future results. Each case is different and must be judged on its own merits.